Two Friends Make Magic With Ink and Type at Western Editions

Erin Fong and Taylor Reid, the creative duo behind Western Editions, a San Francisco-based letterpress, customize invitations using a 1960s Vandercook press. The friends and former roommates founded their company out of a mutual passion for the craft and, they admit, “all things cute.” “There’s a handmade allure to letterpress that digital printing can’t replicate,” says Fong, 29.

The client’s vision, coupled with the team’s skillful use of off-beat colors, old-timey fonts, and whimsical illustrations, comes together in a way that Reid, 32, likens to pure alchemy. “When the machine comes to life, miracles happen,” she says. “You hand-feed every image, every word, every piece of paper. In the end, you have art that you can see and feel.”

Over drinks and bites at Nopa, Fong and Reid often dream about expanding their fledgling studio: They’ve recently ventured into full-service wedding design, where their DIY approach is evident in such charming finishing touches as hand-painted ribbons and watercolor name tags. “There are a lot of really awesome and totally inspiring people out there,” says Fong. “They should have a stunning wedding to match.”

This article was published in 7x7's Weddings 2015 issue. Click here to subscribe.